Is there a way to find old aerial photos?

[Clark]

TNRIS is the state mapping agency and archival for Texas aerial flight photography and photogrammetry.

I spent 180 hours in their basement dungeon filing photos for an endentured servancy they called an internship in college.
Common to pull flights for undeveloped tracts in 10 year increments dating back to the 30’s to ensure lands were never used for a dump.

Pretty sure they will have what you are looking for.
Hope this helps.

[gingib]

You’d be amazed, I know in some areas with google earth I have seen aerial photos go all the way back to the 1950s.

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[Patton]

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[wes122984]

there is a slide in google earth to go back to previous images.

[batmaninja]

Usually you can use the clock with the arrow in the bar on top. But I can only get it to go to 1995, with Google Pro.

These guys have some really old maps.

http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/map-store/index.cfm#search

[J-Carp]

Not trying to burst a bubble but have you thought about the fact that it’s a pile of brick? I would think if it’s as old as you’re thinking It would be stone, if It is a fireplace from a old structure. I have no facts to back that up, just thinking that typically older farmhouses had stone fireplaces...

[WrecklessRanch]

there is a slide in google earth to go back to previous images.

For this particular location it only goes back to 1995. It's Fannin County so we're about 50 years behind the rest of the world... most of these folks probably didn't know airplanes existed until recently.

[WrecklessRanch]

Not trying to burst a bubble but have you thought about the fact that it’s a pile of brick? I would think if it’s as old as you’re thinking It would be stone, if It is a fireplace from a old structure. I have no facts to back that up, just thinking that typically older farmhouses had stone fireplaces...

I see your point but I think it's definitely a fireplace... You can see some structure to it that looks very fireplacey like. And there's some old bent up pots. Maybe it's something else though. I'll try to post a picture later.

[J-Carp]

I see your point but I think it's definitely a fireplace... You can see some structure to it that looks very fireplacey like. And there's some old bent up pots. Maybe it's something else though. I'll try to post a picture later.

Hm very interesting. Either way I hope you find some type of image to solve this mystery!

[WrecklessRanch]

Usually you can use the clock with the arrow in the bar on top. But I can only get it to go to 1995, with Google Pro.

These guys have some really old maps.

http://www.glo.texas.gov/history/arc...dex.cfm#search

Ok, so this is a COOL site! I found an 1866 map of the county that names the seasonal creek that crosses my property and forms the Sulphur River... An unexpected bit of info that I didn't know existed. Thanks!

[BrianL]

I see your point but I think it's definitely a fireplace... You can see some structure to it that looks very fireplacey like. And there's some old bent up pots. Maybe it's something else though. I'll try to post a picture later.

Sometimes you can get date info from bricks. If you can figure out how old bricks are you would have a starting point.

[Native Texan]

It's a long shot, but look up the deed records for past owners and google their family history. Sometimes you can find old photos of homesteads or farms that give you clues where to concentrate your search. You have an advantage with some visible signs of the past still on the surface...often that is not the case. Look for trees also!! Find big oaks in a square or circle that would have been around a house, or even better some Crepe Myrtle trees.

[WrecklessRanch]

No dates that I could easily find but here's the mystery pile:

[myway]

I don’t believe they have been putting holes in brick that long. I did a quick google search and it said 30 years ago but that doesn’t seem right to me maybe someone else will know. It might help with timeline anyways.

[pyrobow]

I started laying brick about 50 years ago and they had holes then. The holes probably came in in the 50's. As the years go by the holes have gotten larger.